This project is designed to create new opportunities for research on the causes of several common diseases. Progress in the fields of coronary heart disease, AIDS and other common diseases depends in part on the study of disease processes in animals. The overall goal of this project is to enhance the value of three nonhuman primate species as animal models for research on common disease.The three species are baboons (Papio hamadryas), pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis). It is proposed that these animal models be improved by identifying and characterizing new DNA polymorphisms in 20 gene that are known or suspected to be related to lipoprotein metabolism, endocrine physiology, neuroscience or susceptibility to infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-a) that causes AIDS. Two different procedures will be used to detect DNA polymorphisms within these species; polymerase chain reaction amplification of hypervariable microsatellites and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Discovery of these new genetic markers will benefit biomedical research in three ways.First, the markers can be used directly in studies of specific disease processes.Second, they can be used in the genetic management of captive primate colonies. The future availability of these species for research depends on effective management of present stocks, and these genetic markers will be important tools in that effort. The third benefit derives from the empirical experience gained during this project. Results will be used to determine the most cost-effective method for detecting new polymorphisms.Development of an inexpensive approach to screening for highly informative polymorphisms will benefit research on a wide range of nonhuman primate species.